Gotta love days like today -- listening to college football on the radio, stacking firewood for the winter, and watching a couple whitetail bucks act goofy on the hillside across the creek. Have seen no indication of the rut at all so far this fall, and then it was like somebody threw a switch last night. Have been watching one big buck chasing a doe all over the mountainside all morning, a second (smaller 2-pt) staying out of range of the bigger buck but trying to sneak a doe, and a third (yearling) buck wondering what in the hell is going on. Not a bad way to drink my morning coffee. Think I'll go for a little walk this evening with my rifle -- don't think I can bring myself to shoot the bigger buck I've been watching, but we've caught night-time glimpses of a very, very nice 5-pt, so will see if he's getting careless as well.
Perfect fall Saturday in Idaho
- Thread starter maverick2
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #3
Not the big buck I've been seeing, but I couldn't pass this guy up. He stepped out onto the ridge next to our house at dusk this evening, and then loitered long enough for me go get my wife and 9-yr old daughter so they could check him out in the spotting scope. Once those two got excited, there was no turning back. He's a very pretty, symmetrical 4x4. (One of these days, I'll actually shoot something in the AM so I can field dress in the daylight -- what a novel idea...)
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,044
- 5,363
He has some good head gear. Congratulations on a very decent buck.
- Thread starter
- #7
NYDAN":3b24zw5o said:
He was right at 200 yds. He made the shot pretty easy, but the extraction tough as it's not the easiest or quickest 200 yards to get - across the river and straight up a canyon wall. Will go back and get him this AM when it gets lighter. It was a challenge just walking out last night.
longrangehunter
Handloader
- Jun 19, 2011
- 1,476
- 6
Very nice Maverick, and that's the smaller one....... Wow, try to get a picture of the bigger buck for us to see.
- Thread starter
- #9
longrangehunter":3qtogqyz said:
My wife just bought me a game camera for my birthday (mainly to see what kind of wolf and cougar traffic we're getting around our place) so I set it up yesterday to see if I can at least get him on film. They don't get that big by being stupid though, so we'll see.
Teknys
Handloader
- Jan 14, 2008
- 800
- 254
Very nice Buck! In some areas here in Idaho there have been NICE bucks taken this year. In the area I hunt not so much.
- Thread starter
- #11
Here are a few more pix. My wife wanted to go along to get the buck out, and it made things go a helluva lot easier (not sure that I would have gotten him out whole by myself). By the time we made it to the river, we were home free. The hillside in the background of the last pic gives a pretty good idea of the terrain we drug him out of.
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,044
- 5,363
Now that's thinking--give that buck a bath to wash off all the blood. Great photos of a fine animal. You have every reason to be pleased.
wildgene
Handloader
- Jul 4, 2011
- 1,597
- 1
...done that a few times, once in the Moyie, once in the St. Joe, & once in the Little N. Fk. of the C'dA...
- Thread starter
- #14
Here's my last photo of this adventure (and probably my favorite). My daughter (9) has walked nearly every mile with me this deer season, regardless of weather, got to watch this buck thru the spotting scope, take part in the "take him or pass on him" discussion, and then see me shoot him. She also grew up listening to her Mom and Grampa (cattle ranch family) tell stories about helping Grampa with the skinning when they butchered steers, so she was all grins when I asked for her help after school today when it came to skinning the buck. I wasn't quite sure what to expect with her (or any kid) when it comes to the first time of the "messy part" of hunting, but she was nothing but smiles, all business with the knife, and ready to do it again! A pretty good end to our deer season.
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,044
- 5,363
Excellent! Good to see your daughter taking part in the work. That is really special for a dad.
